Theresasounddownstairsanditsthemiddleofthenight.

Someonehasbrokeintoyour
house,butthereisnoneedtoworrysinceyouhaveyourgunandscarethethiefoutofyour
home.Havingpossessionoffirearmshasbeenputintoquestionoverthelastcouplecenturies
andevenmoreheavilyinthepastcoupledecades.Questioningifindividualshavetherightto
ownfirearmsoutsideofastatemilitia,andifsowhichindividualsandforwhatreasons.Under
theSecondAmendmentitstates
AwellregulatedMilitia,beingnecessarytothesecurityofa
freeState,therightofthepeopletokeepandbearArms,shallnotbeinfringed."Overtime,the
viewofthesecondamendmenthasbouncedallovertheplaceandhasbeeninconsistent.How
farhavewereallycome?

TheFoundingFathersadoptedtheSecondAmendmentDecember15,1791.TheSecond
AmendmentgrewoutofabigdebateovertheConstitutionandhowAmericansfeareditwould
createanoverpowerfulgovernment.This,crushingthe13statemilitiasmadeupofcitizen
soldiersbringingtheirgunsfromhome.Whileitwasbeingwritten,theamendmenthadalotto
dowithourcountrysviewoftheroleofthegovernment,balancinggunrightsagainstpublic
safetyandthecommongood.DuringthistimeoftheFoundinggeneration,bothfreedand
enslavedblacksweredeniedtherighttoownfirearms.TheFreedmensBureauActofJuly
1866changedthis,givingexslavesfullandequalbenefitofalllawsandproceedings
concerningpersonalliberty...includingtherighttobarearmsafterordersfromGeneralDaniel
E.SickleswereignoredinSouthCarolina.In1871,twoUnionsoldiersfoundedtheNational
RifleAssociation(NRA)formerelypromotingtheshootingofrifles.Thisgroupwouldbecome
futurefaceofproguncampaigninthe20thcentury.

Thereweretwomajoractspassedinthe1930stryandcontinuetokeepatightholdofgun
regulationandhelpingwithguncontrol.In1934,theNationalFirearmsActwaspassedduringa
timeoftheriseofgangstercultureintheprohibitionera.PresidentFranklinD.Roosevelthoped
thatthisactwouldtakecareofautomaticfireweaponsinthestreetsoftheU.S.Hidden
firearms,shortbarreledshotgunsandrifles,silencersamongotherswerealsoamajortargetin
thisprocess.Allgunsalesandmanufacturerscamewitha$200taxwhichistheequivalentto
$2,525today.ThisbeingtheGreatDepressionitwasalotofmoneyforapersontopayjustfor
ataxonfirearms,thereforediscouragingpeopletogetfirearms.Eachfirearmalsorequired
buyerstofilloutpaperwork.In1938,thefocuswasnowmoretargetedatthoseapartofselling
andshippingfirearmsnationallyandinternationally.TheFederalFirearmsActrequiredanyone
apartofsellingfirearmstogetaFederalFirearmsLicensefromtheSecretaryofCommerce.
Theyalsonowhadtorecordthenamesandaddressesofeverypersontheysoldgunsto.
Peoplewhowereconvictedofcertaincrimesorlackedapermitweredeniedthepurchaseof
firearms.

Viewsonguncontrol,proandcon,tookamajorturnduringtheCivilRightsMovement.Malcolm
X,aleaderofthemovement,arguedthatthesecondarticleoftheconstitutionalamendments
provideyouandmetherighttoownarifleorshotgun.TheBlackPantherswerealsostrong
supportersofgunrightswhichsoonbecametheircentralidentity.Theypossessedmany
weaponssuchasmachineguns,rifles,handguns,explosives,andgrenadelaunchers.Itwasnt

untilMartinLutherKingsassassinationandonedayafterRobertF.KennedysthatCongress
passedtheOmnibusCrimeControlandSafeStreetsActof1968.Itwasthefirstfederalgun
controllawin30yearswhichenlargedoncetheGunControlActof1968waspassed.These
assassinationsamongothersbroughtupmoreconcernaboutthelackofcontroloversaleand
possessionoffirearmsintheU.S.

TheBradyHandgunViolenceProtectionActrequiresgundealerstocheckcustomerscriminal
andmentalhealthrecordsinalawenforcementdatabasebeforegoingthroughwiththegun
sale.ThisActisnamedafterJamesBrady,whowasshotbyJohnHinckleyJr.intheattempted
assassinationofRonaldReagan.GuncontroladvocatesdontthinkthattheBradyLawis
adequateenoughtopreventgunsfromgettingintothewronghands.

IntheD.Cv.Hellercasein2008,U.SSupremeCourtvoted54thatthe2ndamendmentdoes
indeedgrantindividualownershipofgunsoutsideofastatemilitiaifusedforlawfulreasons,
suchasselfdefenseinahome.Today,43outofthe50statesprotectanindividualsrightto
ownguns,apartfromservinginthemilitia.

Thechangingfaceofgunrightshastakenmanyformsovertheyearsastowhohastherightto
ownthem,andforwhatreasons.Itusedtobethatinordertoownafirearmyouhadtobepart
ofamilitia.Thenitwasbasedonraceandgender,thenitwasbasedoffofyourbackground.It
switchedfromdiscouragingtheownershipofgunsinthe1930stotodaywheretheSupreme
Courtruledthatthe2ndamendmentdoesgrantanindividualownershipofgunsoutsideastate
militia.Somanyactsandlawshavebeenpassedtoregulateguncontrolandwhogetstheir
handsonfirearms,yetcrimeanddeathtogunsintheU.Sisreachinghighlimits.Everyweek
thereisashootingsomewhereintheU.Ssowhathavetheselawsreallydone.Thoughthe
salesofgunshasasystem,thekillersandcriminalsstillgettheirhandsonguns.Themore
citizenswhoowngunsintheU.S,themorewewillbeabletoprotectourselves,ourfamily,our
friends,andourfellowAmericans.Thecriminalswillgettheirhandsongunsnomatterwhat,but
wehavetheupperhandwiththerightwearegivenintheConstitution.Wecaneithertakeit,or
leave,Americaislettingyoudecide.

Sources:
Achieve3000articleAfterNewton

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/09/thesecrethistoryofguns/308608/

http://fair.org/article/guncontrolthenraandthesecondamendment/

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2014/06/08/GunControlNewLookSecondAmendment
Achieve3000articleStarbucksUnderFire